It’s no secret that Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development for a long, long time. Rumors emerged in 2021 that development was rebooted in 2020, and last year, former environment artist David O’Reilly claimed that it started in 2018. Meanwhile, Take-Two Interactive said full production began in 2020.
Now, Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson revealed to Trois Couleurs that development began in 2015. Of course, that’s not necessarily when production started in earnest. Commenting on the inclusion of social movements and major events, he said, “We develop on very long cycles. The game’s been in development since 2015, so the idea is gestating for a long time.
“The majority of the team really started rolling on it after Red Dead Redemption 2 released in 2018. We have to be very careful about what ideas we choose to put in there, because it can take a long time to figure out what our angle is on this. Because by the time we write it and cast it and shoot it, and implement it, whatever it is – it could be gone, it could change, it could be dated.
“And so we’re always trying to think about whether something will stand the test of time. And so, you look at those things, and we only try to pick things if they work with the story we’re trying to tell, in the world we’re trying to tell it in. I think there will always be things to satirise; there are always ridiculous situations and behaviours that we can find, but we just have to be careful about what we pick.”
It makes sense, even from the context of subject matter like memes, which can become outdated as quickly as they go viral. Nevertheless, everything we’ve seen so far represents a modern Vice City where you can distinguish lifestyles and personalities from fashion alone, even as Rockstar had to craft entirely new tools to capture the sheer diversity of Miami and Florida (which Vice City and Leonida are based on).
While Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a long game, requiring at least 80 hours to finish – if you play as Nelson did – the world size alone ensures that fans will keep coming back. It’s estimated to be three times as large as the playable space in Red Dead Redemption 2, whether you’re exploring the wilderness of Leonida or diving underwater. Launching on November 19th, it will be available on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 for $79.99.
